Seshego – Forty-four-year-old Jossey Modikane Buthane, accused of shooting and wounding several people including a nine-year-old girl, has been granted R5 000 bail.
The accused was linked to the violent clashes between supporters of the African National Congress (ANC) and Economic Freedom Fighters that erupted at Juju Valley in Seshego, outside of Polokwane, Limpopo, on 19 May 2024.
Shots were fired during the clashes in which the 9-year-old girl was shot and wounded.
The child suffered head injuries and has since undergone a five-hour surgery. She remains in a critical, but stable condition in the ICU.
The ANC in Limpopo said at least 12 people sustained serious injuries from gunshots and other sharp objects that were used during the clashes.
Buthane, a former EFF member who has since re-joined ANC, was arrested on Friday and appeared in the Seshego Magistrate’s Court, where he was granted bail.
He faces several charges including attempted murder, possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition.
In a statement, the ANC in Limpopo said the violent clashes were “unheard of in a democratic era in South Africa”.
The statement added: “In the history of this democracy, even at the height of political tensions, in the period after 1994, it is unheard of, for any political formation, to employ ‘izinkabi (hitmen) and gangsters’ to shoot at members of another organisation while doing political work”.
The provincial Commissioner of Police in Limpopo Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe has “welcomed” Buthane’s arrest and commended the police.
“The police will continue to uphold the rule of law and order, thus protecting the democratic rights of all citizens to vote in a safe and secure environment,” said Lieutenant General Hadebe.
The EFF could not be reached for comment on Sunday.
Buthane will appear again before Seshego Magistrate’s Court on 2 July 2024.
